Royal Arrangement

18) KABIR~ Tasting the medicine

"He ran a mile, but kept coming back to the same place." I read out the line out loud for the Nth time. No matter how much I tried I couldn't focus. It's almost past 12, there was no sign of Nalini. Ofcourse it was her birthday, but that didn't mean she had to not come back. I didn't even know why I was worrying when I knew she'd be out there partying with her sister and my siblings.

I sighed as I turned to look down at my phone. There was not a single notification from neither Abhishek, nor Trisha. I couldn't even call Nalini myself, despite the chaos in my head. More like I wouldn't call her. No, I shouldn't. There was no point at all. Why did I care? I pursed my lips as I focused on the book again.

Just then my phone buzzed. I looked down and there it was, a text from Nalini. Despite the slightest relief, I frowned. I opened the chat box. It was a picture of a bar, I saw Trisha, Abhishek and Akshita in it. Nalini wasn't there. I sighed and was about to throw my phone aside when there was another text. 'Just in case you care the slightest as a human.' I clenched my jaw and once again turned the screen off. My phone buzzed again, I didn't look at it, I tried hard to concentrate on my reading instead. I had been reading for two hours now. I sighed.

My eyes fumbled between the page and my phone laying on my side. I clicked my tongue and picked it up. There was a photo of Nalini smiling, with Abhishek's hand around her waist. She wore an utterly revealing black dress. I could definitely see her cleavage. Those almost invisible straps held her dress on those shoulders. Her dress barely even covered her thighs. I tucked my cheek with my tongue and I didn't know why, I was upset all of a sudden.

Maybe because I wasn't invited? Maybe because Abhishek and Trisha didn't once think of me? I shut my book as I kept staring at the picture. Abhishek's hand on her waist was so offensive to my ego for some reason. I couldn't be jealous of my own brother. I took a deep breath. "Fuck."

"No, screw you Nalini." I muttered under my breath as I shut my eyes before throwing the phone away. It fucking buzzed again, I cursed. I still had the nerve to pick it up. Her text said so much nonsense, I wanted to strangle her through the screen. 'I need your permission to hookup. I can at-least do that since our marriage isn't a real thing anyway. See you tomorrow.'

My fist curled. I typed furiously. 'You dare do that Nalini, I'd show you what...' I typed but I deleted it. She was fucking online, waiting for a reply.
'Okay.' I typed, I shouldn't care. She was right, it wasn't a real thing anyway. A sigh left my lips. I switched off my phone and headed to the bathroom. I had decided, it was better to not care at all. The less I cared, the less she would mess with my head.
.
.
.
.
My alarm buzzed the next day. I woke up feeling a bit tired than usual. I clicked my tongue, forcing myself up from the bed. I turned my head to find the lights of the closet on. I walked towards it and found Nalini undressing. I turned around, despite the evident glimpse of her bare back flashing in front of me. She gasped gently when she turned around.
I looked back at her, still groggy. She looked pale and tired. Her texts flashed in front of my eyes.

"Stop wearing my T-shirts Nalini. That one is my favourite." Heck yes it was. The tan shade of the T-shirt matched her skin so perfectly, I wondered why it was my favourite.
"Next time Kabir, I am tired right now." She muttered as she walked past me. I grabbed her wrist, pulling her in front of me again. She sighed and that's when I saw it, the redness around her rim, the gloominess in her eyes.

"Wasn't he satisfactory? Seems like he was good, you are almost looking sick like you did last...." I said when I realised. I calculated the date, same fucking date, a different month. I shut my mouth and she removed my hand from her wrist gently. "He was a good kisser though, before we could proceed further, nature's trauma." She smiled gently.